Bainbridge Island and Seattle, WA-based artists, Maggie Smith and Lois Shelton have been selected to create a commemorative artwork honoring the nursing professionals who have, and continue to study and serve at Harborview Medical Center. The artist team was selected from a pool of 71 artists and artist teams. Smith and Shelton will research and document a legacy of learning and service, and will create an innovative, interpretive artwork to honor it.

1600 registered nurses currently work at Harborview Medical Center. Known as the “engine of the hospital,” their legacy is long and proud. Thousands of nurses have served Harborview and its patients since its founding in 1877 as the King County Hospital, and University of Washington School of Nursing students have received their clinical education at Harborview since 1931.

Maggie Smith is an artist known for her work in metal, stone, ceramic and glass. Her public projects, such as the Armed Forces Memorial in Norfolk, Virginia and the Salem Witch Trials Tercentenary Memorial in Salem, Massachusetts, have explored local history and the meaning of commemoration. Lois Shelton is an award-winning filmmaker with a focus on documentary. With subjects ranging from civil rights and the Japanese American internment to the history of houseboats on Lake Union, Lois seeks to make the past relevant to the present. Both Maggie and Lois are committed to authentic collaboration, deep research, and lyrical storytelling.

Three nursing students from the 1960’s model uniforms from Harborview, Swedish and the University of Washington. © UW Special Collections

This is a great opportunity for an artist or team to research, understand and document the heritage of the nursing profession in King County, and create an innovative, interpretive artwork to honor this legacy.

Deadline: Monday, November 9, 5pm

4Culture, Harborview Medical Center, and the University of Washington School of Nursing seek an artist/artist team to create a commemorative artwork honoring the nursing professionals who have studied and served at Harborview. The selected artist/artist team will work collaboratively with a committee of nursing professionals to understand and document a legacy of learning and service, and will create an innovative, interpretive artwork to honor this legacy.

This is a great opportunity for talented regional artists with experience and continued interest in historical research and translation of historical research into compelling artwork. It is also a unique opportunity for self-selecting inter-disciplinary teams which may include a historian or heritage specialist, literary, visual and/or new media artists to collaborate in the creation of a layered exploration of Harborview’s nursing legacy.

Visit our Calls for Artists page for details.